MINELRES: Romania: Bulletin DIVERS on Ethnic Minorities no. 33 (229) / September 18, 2006

[minelres@lists.microlink.lv]

Original sender: Original sender: Divers Bulletin <edivers_buletin-
admin@mediafax.ro>


Divers Bulletin no. 33 (229) / September 18, 2006


News

EU FOCUSES ON ETHNIC ROMA ISSUE 
A POSSIBLE POLICE AGGRESSION AGAINST ROMA PEOLE IN REGHIN 
NATIONAL DAY OF CHRISTIAN ETHNIC ROMA CELEBRATED IN COSTESTI 
ROMANIAN YOUNGSTERS ARE INTOLERANT 
MARKO: HUNGARYS WORKFORCE RESTRICTION TO CAUSE PROBLEMS 
16th EDITION OF THE MINORITIES FESTIVAL IN BOGDAND 
ETHNIC HUNGARIAN MP DENIES TIES WITH COMMUNIST SECRET POLICE 
------------------------------------------------------
News

EU FOCUSES ON ETHNIC ROMA ISSUE 
BRUSSELS - European Unions MP Viktoria Mohacsi, member with the liberal
and ethnic Roma group, meeting last week with EUs enlargement commissary
Olli Rehn, showed dissatisfied with the European Commissions tolerant
attitude toward the "deplorable" situation of the ethnic Roma population
in our country, but not in Bulgaria. 
Viktoria Mohacsi said that only the interventions and tireless pressure"
coming from EUs parliamentarians made the EC have a "more realistic"
approach on the issue of ethnic Roma in the two countries, EUs
information website EurActiv reports.
She asked Rehn to toughen the monitoring of human rightscompliance in
the countries under accession, pointing out the Romanian police
committed serious abuses on ethnic Roma population. She also reminded
that statistics subsequently prove the deterioration of the economic
status of ethnic Roma in Bulgaria and Romania. 
Viktoriei Mohacs fears that Romania does not follow the example of
Hungary, which in the prea-accession stage took various commitments on
improving the ethnic Roma status and on their social inclusion, to give
up meeting these goals after the accession to the European Union. 
Minister of European Accession Nikolaus Van Der Pas, director general
with Workforce Recruitment General Department, was impressed with the
statistics in Romania on its social inclusion.
"I am impressed with Romanias efforts on preparing the accession,
especially as regards the progress registered in social inclusion
issue", he said. Romanias minister of European Accession Anca Boagiu
said a European strategy is required regulating the status of this
minority, as once with Romanias accession to the European Union, the
members of this minority become European citizens.
Author: DIVERS


A POSSIBLE POLICE AGGRESSION AGAINST ROMA PEOLE IN REGHIN 
REGHIN - From 10 to 12 September 2006, a team from Romani CRISS
organization carried out a documenting visit in regard to the case of
Police force intervention in the community from Apalina, Reghin (Mures
County). The case is being documented in partnership with Liga
Pro-Europa. 
During the preliminary documentation (discussions and declarations of
the Roma and meeting between the Roma and local
authoritiesrepresentatives), the following were ascertained:
On 07.09.2005, around 16.00 - 16.30, two inhabitants of Apalina
neighborhood met with a police officer from the Mures County Police
Inspectorate, namely a community policeman for the relation with Roma
communities. A discussion / altercation arose, as result of which the
policeman reported to the Inspectorate that he had been assaulted. 
Around 17.00-17.30, two police cars with approximately 7-8 police
officers in them, dressed as civilians, and a Special Force van, with
another 7 policemen dressed and black, with masks on their faces,
entered in the Roma community from Apalina neighborhood, on Caprioarei
Street. 
The civilian dressed policemen called the leader of the Roma community,
Mr. B.I. to discuss in reference to two subpoenas. B.I. walked
approximately 10 m on Caprioarei St. and noticed that two Special Forces
policemen who sat in the front of the van were getting ready their spays
and guns. B.I. asked them: What are you doing with the sprays? Its ok,
nothing its going to happen!
The two Special Forces policemen got off the van and the one in the
right side started to use the spray and to hit the people around the
van, mainly women and minors. The driver of the van came to B.I., put a
gun to his head and said: I will shoot you, Gypsy!, and pushed him like
this for almost 6 metres. Then a civilian dressed police officer yelled
at him to leave the man alone because he was the Roma leader and because
they called him to come there. The Special Force policeman left B.I.
alone and walked to minor K.P. who was coming towards them, without
being armed or shouting. The Special Forces policeman hit the minor in
the ear with a black-color object. K.P. fell at the ground, unconscious
and bleeding. Then the two Special Forces policemen started to kick K.P.
and stopped when the other police officers yelled at them to leave him
alone or he would die. The civilian dressed policemen, along with K.P.
and his parents went in the cars, drove back on Caprioa rei Street and
left for the hospital to provide him medical care. 
Meanwhile, another 3 Special Forces policemen got off the van and
sprayed and hit a group of approximately 10-15 people. While the cars
drove back on Caprioarei Street, the driver of the van shot the first
fire. Another two policemen got off the van and, along with two more got
off in the street and started to walk on the street in opposite
directions, shooting at and hitting more people. The rest of the police
officers continued to do the same thing in the Street. 
Then all of them gathered round the van, one got in, took the wheel,
other 3 positioned themselves in front of t he van and the other 3 in
the back of the van, continuing to fire. Some of them ran out of
ammunition. During the intervention, the Special Forces policemen used
the following weapons: tear gas (spray), tear grenades, rubber sticks,
guns and pistols with rubber small shots and bullets. 
Until the present, a number of 37 victims were identified: 20 men and 17
women; 32 adults and 7 minors; 22 shot people and 15 hit or gun
threatened; 36 Roma and 1 Romanian.
Currently, Romani CRISS and Liga Pro-Europa are continuing to document
the case, which is in incipient phase. 
Author: DIVERS


NATIONAL DAY OF CHRISTIAN ETHNIC ROMA CELEBRATED IN COSTESTI
COSTESTI - On September 8, for Saint Virgin Marys Day, the ethnic Roma
celebrate the national day of Christian ethnic Roma. The day started
with religious pilgrimage at Bistrita monastery, the 4 thousand ethnic
Roma coming from allover the country praying at the relics of Saint
Grigore, the miracles-maker and the family protector. 
After the ceremony, the ethnic Roma gathered on the common in Costesti
to celebrate this day with their families. The traditional ethnic Roma
craftsmen exhibited their products. The self-designated Ethnic Roma King
Florin Cioaba, invited representatives of PER, Livia Plaks and Andrej
Mirga, as well as the president with the Ethnic Roma International
Union. They were awarded Honorific Diplomas for their contribution to
supporting, promoting and defending the ethnic Roma specific, internally
and internationally. 
Author: DIVERS


ROMANIAN YOUNGSTERS ARE INTOLERANT 
BUCHAREST - A sociological survey made by ORICUM organization, with
British Council support and launched on September 13, shows the ethnic
Roma in Romania discriminate and have prejudice toward the minorities.
The surveys talks about a young not very democratic generation, not very
sensitive to diversity, proactive or altruist.
The people in Cluj, northwestern Romania are the most virulent toward
the ethnic Hungarian minority: "I could die hearing them talking ethnic
Hungarian tongue in buses. They should all talk Romanian and speak in
their families"; "They went too far with privileges. They want an ethnic
Hungarian university financed by the Romanian government". 
The youngsters in Iasi, eastern Romania, are not less tolerant: "They
aim at Transylvania. I am most bothered when going to counties
throughout Romania, the ethnic Hungarians refuse to talk Romanian
tongue. I wonder what they would say if I swear them in Romanian"; the
youngsters in Barlad, southeastern Romania, strongly reject the idea to
receive the ethnic Hungarians in their families: "They made a small
Hungary center Romania. They simply invaded us. Some 95% of the people
living out there are Hungarians. They should comply with the wish of the
majority population and should give up all claims and protests". 
Most of the people taking part in the survey prove to be intolerant
towards the ethnic Hungarian minority. A man in Bucharest says: "I often
go by subway and meet sticky ethnic Roma. I know that I should not
discriminate them, but they should not stink"; another person is very
categorical: "I had unpleasant experiences with them and I do not want
them in my country, in my city or on the continent I live. They should
be somewhere on the bottom of the sea". 
As a key solution to eliminate the phenomenon of discrimination, ORICUMs
team proposes a minoritiesre-branding process. "All minorities face
problems connected to their brand. Think of the first 20 words coming to
your minds when hearing the word ethnic Roma... Different organizations
should get involved to change the image of the minority, to bring
forwards the positive values, the individuals the community is proud
of," said Razvan Crisan, executive director with ORICUM. 
If some of the youngstersrole models seem logical, such as Bill Gates,
Martin Luther King, Gandhi, queen Elisabeth the 1st, Emil Cioran, others
arise confusion and questions: some youngsters take for role models
Angelina Jolie, Irinel Columbeanu, DJ Tanenberg, Adolf Hitler, 50 Cent,
or Rex Hunt. 
Author: DIVERS


MARKO: HUNGARYS WORKFORCE RESTRICTION TO CAUSE PROBLEMS 
BUCHAREST - President with the Ethnic Hungarian Democratic Union in
Romania Marko Bela Tuesday said he fears Hungary might restrict the
workforce in Romania and Bulgaria. 
The meeting held on September 8, in Budapest, which was attended by
ethnic Hungarian parliamentarians in countries neighboring Hungary,
Marko Bela pleaded for the non-restriction of workforce in Hungary. On
the contrary, problems might exist, but he failed to mention what these
problems might be. 
UDMR president said during a press conference, he pleaded for the
workforce access to Hungary in some meetings with Hungarys Premier
Ferenc Gyurcsany, and with representatives of the Parliament in
Budapest, occasion on which "he stated UDMRs negative stance toward
Hungarys proposal". 
"I asked that a decision on restricting the workforce should not be
made, as it is in Romanian citizensbest interest that the market in
Hungary is free", said Marko Bela.
Author: DIVERS


16th EDITION OF THE MINORITIES FESTIVAL IN BOGDAND 
SATU MARE - The 16th edition of the Minorities Festival was held Sunday,
September 10, in Bogdand, Satu Mare county. The event was attended by 10
folkloric bands throughout the county, including the ethnic Hungarian
bands Rozsmalint in Bogdand, Berekenye in Cehu Silvania, Teryete in
Zalau, and Holtamaros Neptanc Egyuttes in Lunca Muresului. 
"The current edition of the festival was exceptional, which mirrors the
seriousness and commitment of the cultural animators deploying efforts
for keeping the folkloric traditions", said Felician Pop, main organizer
and director with County Center for Conserving and Promoting Satu Mare
Traditional Culture.
Author: DIVERS


ETHNIC HUNGARIAN MP DENIES TIES WITH COMMUNIST SECRET POLICE
BUCHAREST - A senator from the Hungarian Democratic Alliance (UDMR),
Gyorgy Frunda, was called last week for a hearing at the National
Council for the Study of Securitate Archives (CNSAS), following the
release of a list of politicians who reportedly were followed but also
collaborated with the communist secret police.
Frunda's name was included on the list, made public by the media,
prompting the CNSAS to commence a series of inquiries into the people
whose names appear on the list. 
After the meeting with CNSAS members, Frunda told reporters that he
never signed a collaboration agreement with the Securitate and that he
never gave any information to the secret police during the communist
era.
He revealed that there were five files on him at the Securitate, two of
which present secret police agents' efforts to recruit him and his
refusal. However, his negation is no longer present in the file, said
Frunda.
According to the senator, there are some pages missing from his files,
which means that somebody "worked" on them after the 1989 anti-communist
revolution or before with the purpose of "slandering, discrediting the
people in those files." Frunda also said that in 1987 he visited several
European countries and that after his return he had to write a report
about his trip, as the law required at the time. A Securitate officer
came across this report, which he labeled as a report from a source, but
the head of the secret police added to the document that Frunda "is not
and does not want to be an informant," the senator explained.
"It is inadmissible that people are sentenced, without the council
having made any decision because, to be honest, even if I get, and I am
sure I will get a certificate saying I did not collaborate with the
Securitate, there is a moral stain on my image," Frunda said. The
senator added that he is planning to sue the people who accused him of
having collaborated with the Securitate.
Frunda was also heard yesterday by anti-corruption prosecutors, but the
senator did not provide many details, saying only it was an "informal
meeting" regarding "some lawmakers," in relation to a series of debates
in Parliament. 
Author: DIVERS

-----------------------
DIVERS - News bulletin about ethnic minorities living in Romania is
edited every week by Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, with the
financial support of King Baudouin Foundation, Belgium and Ethnocultural
Diversity Resource Center. Partial or full reproduction of the
information contained in DIVERS is allowed only if the source is
mentioned. You can send messages and suggestions regarding the content
of DIVERS bulletin at Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, at the
e-mail address:
marian@birn.eu.com

---------------------------------------------
This message was sent using Endymion MailMan.
http://www.endymion.com/products/mailman/ http://www.microlink.com/